Aerators are commonly used for maintaining landscaped ground surfaces including turf. The term “turf” refers to grass and other material which is specifically grown for sporting activities and is used, for example, to form golf course greens. Aerators on these types of surfaces have tines that repeatedly penetrate the ground surface, forming a plurality of holes so that the ground surface is aerated, to improve growth of the grass or other material and enhance the condition of the surface for playing purposes.
Aerators may have flywheels that drive the upper ends of tine supports in a circular path, and the lower ends in a reciprocating motion of repeated penetrations into the ground. Link arms can pivot to compensate for forward motion of the machine. At each part of the cycle when the tines are withdrawn from the ground surface, the link arms may position the tines in a substantially vertical position for the next cycle of penetration into the ground. Tines are generally cylindrical, are hollow or solid, and produce holes by pulling up plugs or cylindrical cores of soil as the tines move by rotation of the flywheel. For example, three, four or five tines are typically carried by each of multiple tine holders on the aerator, and are held in place by one or more clamp blocks bolded to a rectangular body. When bolted together, the tine holder forms several cylindrical bores that hold the upper ends of several tines.
When an aerator is used, tines must be changed periodically because the tines wear quickly due to abrasion by the soil. Removing and replacing one or more tines is time intensive because it requires loosening the clamp block that holds several tines in place until the tines become loose in the holder. If even one tine is replaced, the other tines, as well as the new tines, must be repositioned and held in place in the tine holder before the clamp block may be tightened again.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,600,573 relates to a tine holder for a turf aerator in which the upper end of each tine is inserted into a tapered collar that is received in each tapered bore. The collar is split so that it contracts as the collar is slid into the tapered bore. A special tool is provided to urge the collar to slide into place.
An aerator tine holder is needed that reduces or minimizes the time required to change one or more tines in an aerator. A tine holder for an aerator is needed that does not require repositioning several tines held by a clamp block. A tine holder for an aerator is needed that does not require special tools to remove and replace tines.